What's a nappy for?

[Guest guest]

Hi thanks - to you and the others - for replying.

<br><br>A nappy is, according to the graphic description in

my dictionary (!) "a piece of towelling or other

absorbent material wrapped round a baby to absorb or retain

urine or faeces", i.e. the word we Brits use for a

diaper (which etymologically come from Greek "dia" and

"aspros", presumably meaning "white all the way through" -

at first). <br><br>It is an abbreviation of

"napkin", which the British tend to call a "serviette",

which is the French word for a hand towel, etc. etc.

Interestingly I see that the US expression for what we call a

"sanitary towel" is "sanitary napkin". Why not sanitary

diaper? Aren't words fun!